Developing high-performance aqueous Zn-ion batteries from sustainable biomass becomes increasingly vital for large-scale energy storage in the foreseeable future. Therefore, γ-MnO₂ uniformly loaded on N-doped carbon derived from grapefruit peel is successfully fabricated in this work, and particularly the composite cathode with carbon carrier quality percentage of 20 wt% delivers the specific capacity of 391.2 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹, outstanding cyclic stability of 92.17% after 3000 cycles at 5 A g⁻¹, and remarkable energy density of 553.12 Wh kg⁻¹ together with superior coulombic efficiency of ~ 100%. Additionally, the cathodic biosafety is further explored specifically through in vitro cell toxicity experiments, which verifies its tremendous potential in the application of clinical medicine. Besides, Zinc ion energy storage mechanism of the cathode is mainly discussed from the aspects of Jahn–Teller effect and Mn domains distribution combined with theoretical analysis and experimental data. Thus, a novel perspective of the conversion from biomass waste to biocompatible Mn-based cathode is successfully developed.

With the advancement of wearable electronics toward longer battery life, multifunctionality, and intelligence, traditional rigid energy storage devices and discrete modules for energy harvesting, storage, and sensing are increasingly inadequate in meeting the demands of wearable systems for flexibility, safety, integration, and self-powering capabilities. Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have emerged as an ideal candidate for constructing wearable energy systems due to their intrinsic safety, low cost, environmental friendliness, and excellent electrochemical performance. This review focuses on integrated systems of wearable AZIBs, systematically elaborating their development pathway from achieving “energy autonomy” to enabling “intelligent sensing”. First, the fundamental principles, advantages, and necessity of integrated technologies for wearable AZIBs are analyzed. Next, recent research advancements in this field are comprehensively reviewed. Finally, current key challenges are summarized, and prospects for the future development of truly self-driven, intelligent, and comfortable wearable AZIBs systems are discussed.

The ZrCo hydrogen storage alloy is a relatively good hydrogen isotope carrier applied in the National Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor. However, the intrinsic disproportionation characteristics of ZrCo alloy reduces its cyclic service life and limits its further application. To address this issue, Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Co alloy is developed and exhibits good anti-disproportionation performance than pure ZrCo. Nevertheless, Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Co suffers from relatively poor hydrogen absorption kinetics. In this study, the effects of Cr substitution on its microstructure and hydrogen storage performance are investigated. Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Cr_xCo_1−x (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) samples are composed of the ZrCo main phase. After Cr substitution, the second phases of CoZr₂ and TiCr₂ Laves phases appear. With the increase in Cr content, the lattice constant and unit cell volume of the Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Co alloy increase. Meanwhile, the hydrogen absorption incubation time of the Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Co alloy is shortened, and the activation performance is enhanced, which is attributed to the catalytic effect of the Laves second phases. The enthalpy of hydrogen absorption of the Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Co alloy increases, and the stability of the hydride is enhanced with increasing Cr addition. Zr_0.8Ti_0.2Cr_0.05Co_0.95 demonstrates excellent hydrogen desorption kinetics while maintaining robust anti-disproportionation performance. The element substitution and the composition design are effective approaches to improving the comprehensive hydrogen storage performance of ZrCo-based alloys, which provides guidance for its further application.

Aiming at the high-value application of rare earth elements lanthanum (La), an Al-50% La alloy was selected and prepared in a vacuum medium-frequency induction furnace. The geometric characteristics of the Al-50% La alloy powders were compared and studied, with the powders prepared by two different methods: mechanical pulverization and gas atomization. The results showed that an Al-49.09% La master alloy was obtained, and the only intermediate phase containing La in the experimental alloy was Al₁₁La₃. From the perspectives of chemical and phase composition, La has a high yield. Additionally, an Al-La alloy with controllable rare earth intermediate phases can be obtained. The Al-La alloy powders prepared by the mechanical pulverization method are irregular in shape, but the particle size is relatively small, ranging from 0.25 to 66.9 μm. Submicron powders were obtained, with 4.38% of the powders having an equivalent particle size of less than 1 μm. Considering the characteristic of the selective laser melting (SLM) process forming micro-melt pools, a small amount of submicron Al-La alloy powders prepared by the mechanical pulverization method can be used as a trace additive for SLM preparation of CP-Ti. The powders prepared by gas atomization have good sphericity, with a particle size range of 1.65 to 76.0 μm. Among them, the powders with a size of 2–10 μm account for 75.52%, and this part of the powders can be used for the powder metallurgy preparation of composite materials.